This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
It was really rather restful, sitting around, typing away, drinking coffee and loading apps on to my iPad. I had had a late breakfast so I eschewed lunch in favour of a snack in the Clubhouse and dinner on board as the inbound menu looked rather nice. In the fullness of time I retrieved my bags and changed into travelling clothes, blessing the generous sizes of the disability loos which make for a perfect changing room. 
I hadn’t made any conscious decision about a time to arrive at the airport unlike previous journeys when I had arrived before check-in opened. I just knew I was early-ish. Sure enough check-in was well under way when I arrived but although one person was being dealt with at the UC desk, another was free and so I was dealt with by as nice and as pleasant a person as you could wish for. For all of you considering the ex-AMS option of travel, even though the leg of the LON-AMS was from LGW, the check-in lady asked me if I wanted her to check the bags through.
I didn’t think that was possible but she insisted it was and that was why she asked. I told her I only wanted them to be checked as far as LHR but the downside of this routing was that I couldn’t blag a through check to Cork. Nonetheless I was more than happy with my experience. She then asked if I knew my way to the Clubhouse and when I mentioned Claire, she laughed and said all the regulars mention Claire! After that I headed off to buy a stamp and post a birthday card to a friend and then sauntered up to the Clubhouse where I was warmly welcomed by one of the staff who remembered me from Claire’s time. Ah, yes Claire’s ghost is alive and well around the Clubhouse - well if a ghost can be alive!Once in the Clubhouse I was surprised to see that I was the first one there especially as when I had left check-in the agent at the next desk was giving instructions as to how to get to the Clubhouse. That didn’t mean however that the staff sprang into action the minute I appeared but in fairness the minute I had perused the menu and gave a slight nod, the server was beside me and soon I was in possession of a glass of champagne and a Dungeness crab sandwich followed shortly by a cheese plate (and another glass of champagne) The wi-fi in the CH was virtually non-existant
but I managed to get on to the SFO free wi-fi service which served me well but others complained that the Virgin one kept dropping the connection. During my time there the load was very light and one of the servers was concerned that there would be a last -minute influx of guests and they wouldn’t be able to serve them all. The Clubhouse did get busy but it did seem to be able to cope. I watched G-VWOW coming in to bring me home and thoroughly enjoyed myself there. Nearer to boarding time the guy in the seat behind me swung around and said “honey lamb, isn’t it?” (Well my real name actually) He was one of the guys I had met at a mods meet a couple of years ago and had been apprised that I was on the flight so we had a nice chat about V-Flyer and also the VS Facebook page before boarding was called. I was among the last to leave the Clubhouse as I decided to take a detour via the Ladies (seems to be a theme on this trip with VS doesn’t it?
) and was a tad apprehensive about security as it was the first time I had used it at the later hour. I need not have worried. The only crowd that was going through was for the VS 20 and the busiest lane was the lane for First and Business Class - well it would be wouldn’t it, given that we had all left the CH together. We were quickly through even though I had the stand-with-my-hands-up-in-the-air type scanner and had to wait until it had given the OK but I was still ahead of my bags coming through the machine. After that it was the long walk down to gate A11 at the far end of the concourse. The priority line was clearly marked as always in SFO and in two shakes of a (honey) lamb’s tail I was being welcomed on board and directed to my seat at 16A. I was no sooner there than a tray of drinks was beside me and I was swiftly in possession of a glass of champagne and a sleep suit and after a quick change I was soon settled in my seat ready for the off! So there I was, having a little play with my brand new iPad which I’d loaded with apps while at the hotel that morning when the FSM fetched up beside me and hunkered down in front of me. “Good evening, Mrs honey lamb, and welcome on board. I see you are one of our regular fliers and I’d like to offer you a special welcome and if there is anything I can do to make your flight more comfortable then please let me know” I thanked him and said I was fine but a warm glow spread inside me which had nothing to do with the amount of champagne I had quaffed by that time. A simple thing which only took a few minutes but still made me feel good.Shortly after that the doors were closed and we began the trundle to the runway. The captain had said he hoped we would be in early at about 12:30 and I began to calculate my chances of a quick trip into Revivals. Soon we were in the air and the cabin crew sprang into action. Because the new flight time was after 7pm I had wondered if there would be a drinks service given that it was only 5 minutes after and I had been assured that there would be in Upper but that it would be combined in PE and economy. So any guesses as to what I had to drink? A mojito? Perchance a brandy and ginger ale? A Cosmopolitan so beloved of mrs buns perhaps? Or what about a martini?
Answers please on a £50 note and the winner gets absolutely nothing as you all know what it is but the £50 notes will go a long way in providing my next trip report! 
I also watched Tangled which had been switched off before the end on the outbound journey and I was nicely relaxed and enjoying the flight. The crew were lovely and far more engaging with the passengers than they had been on the outbound. The FSM ran a tight ship and seemed to be here, there and everywhere. A second un-named beverage was offered and accepted according to the dictates of good manners (Answers once more on £50 notes as to the identity of the second beverage) and orders were taken for dinner. I had the lobster tails and the grilled beef fillet. Both were absolutely gorgeous and the beef especially was beautifully moist and tender. I had intended to have the cheesecake but I decided to have cheese and biccies instead along with a glass of port. The lights were switched off just as I finished and after a couple more plays on my iPad I decided to turn in. My bed was made up for me and within minutes I was in the Land of Nod, not waking till we were somewhere between Iceland and Ireland - one of the best night’s sleeps I had had on a flight for a long time. In fact I felt so bright-eyed and bushy-tailed that, unusually for me I had the cooked breakfast. It was very nice although I didn’t finish it but I’m afraid the coffee rather let it down. 
I had changed from my sleep suit before breakfast and soon we were notified that the seat belt sign would be going on in half an hour’s time. The imap didn’t really work that well but all the signs were that we would be on the ground at 12:30 and once more I calculated my chances of Revivals. Huh! I should have known better. We had to do the mandatory two laps around LHR before being allowed to land. We came in over east London following the River Thames and for those on the K side the views over central London are amazing. I had heard the American guy in the seat opposite tell the cabin crew at the start of the flight “Ah’m 59 years old and this is mah fust tahm out of Murka” So was he eagerly glued to the window gazing on such inspiring views as the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, the London Eye, Buckingham Palace, the Royal Parks - all the things that are great about London? No he was not! He was sitting there with his eyes closed as we drifted into London! Grrrr!
We landed just before 12:30 and my hopes for Revivals was still high but then got slightly thwarted. We were to be at one of the gates you can see from the Clubhouse and we had to wait for an aircraft to leave before we could enter. So we waited and waited until a Thai plane left on its journey to Bangkok. So finally just after 12:45 we arrived at the gate. We had to wait for the door to be opened which was L2 and of course the volume of Economy passengers coming from the upper deck does slow down disembarkation. However with a bit of power walking I was soon at Border Control and in the EU line which was long enough. I was in the line next to the passage that had been created to allow Iris users speedy access. While we were waiting it was amusing to watch some of the passengers walk along with superior looks as us fools who had chosen a longer line then see then walk back with their tails between their legs, having been sent back because they were not Iris registered and in most cases, probably had never heard of it!
I’m very easily entertained. From there it was through to baggage claim. The carousel started up shortly after I arrived there but the first bags that came through were PE bags with a sprinkling of UC bags. Soon UC came out in full force and I lined them up on a trolley before heading out through customs. It was 1:20pm and I really felt there was no way I could inflict myself on Revivals and so with a heavy heart and a wistful look at the sign pointing to that haven, I turned to the ramp leading to T1 and the mini-drama that was to unfold with Aer Lingus!! 
. Perhaps we can introduce AJ and DB to each other. Grumpy, cranky, kind to animals....two of a kind 
